6 Office Christmas Party Blunders You Definitely Must Avoid

The office party – some much-needed downtime with the people you’ve spent most of your year with. What could go wrong? Quite a lot, apparently. Over the years, we’ve heard plenty of embarrassing tales from office Christmas parties. Read on as we look at six blunders you need to avoid at this year’s office Christmas party…

1. Dress codes

When it comes to office parties, there’s nothing worse than sticking out. You want your boss to notice you, but not because you’re the only one in a full suit and tie. In the same sense, nobody wants to be wearing a full festive outfit if everyone else is dressed to the nines.

2. Don’t confront anyone

It’s the end of the working year, and you have a bone to pick with that one colleague. Now is not the time. Let the Christmas party be a time of celebration and enjoyment. Spoiling the atmosphere at the office party is a sure-fire way into the boss’s bad books, especially if they have paid for it.

3. Don’t mention pay

Also amongst the no-go topics of conversation is pay. You might think you deserve a raise, and what better time to bring it up than when everyone is relaxed? The truth is, any time is better. Asking for a pay rise at an office party could be seen as completely unprofessional, and may hinder your chances of actually getting one.

4. Keep the camera at bay

An office party may seem like the perfect time to take some photos with your colleagues. However, this can turn into a bit of a minefield. Make sure everyone is comfortable with you taking their photo, and be extra careful when posting onto social media.

5. Attendance

Despite all the blunders so far, one of the worst errors you can make is not attending your work’s party. Office parties aren’t just a reward for workers, they’re also an important team building event. Choosing not to attend – without a proper reason – could cause issues with your co-workers and lead to you feeling isolated in the long run.

6. Extra attendees

With that said, you should also avoid bringing extra people to your office party. You might think dragging a friend along will ease the awkwardness. Or maybe you don’t want to pay for a babysitter?

In either case, uninvited guests will make other attendees feel uncomfortable, add to the expense and could leave other people short on complementary food and drinks. It will also hinder the team-building aspect of the party.

How can we help?

At Ava, we can’t stop your office party blunders. But we can assist your office for the rest of the year with a professional phone answering service. Our virtual assistant service gives a professional voice and image to your business, while taking time-consuming administration off your to-do list. Speak to our team to see how we can help you.